Month: April 2020

One of the most beautiful beaches in the world is the beach of the Kempinski Hotel on Mahe, Seychelles. When I arrived at Seychelles in 2014, I found casino at the Kempinski Hotel. It was called Paradiso. I met the director of the casino, who also turned out to be a Texas Holdem Poker amateur (I saw him at the poker table in another casino). He kindly invited me to visit and allowed me to take some photographs. The director conducted a detailed tour of a small, as he said “homey casino. It was evident that he loves his small business, but he did/t have professionalism in managing Paradiso.

I asked the director why he called the casino that way – in the Italian manner of “Paradiso”. He replied that he was a big fan of the film Nuovo Cinema Paradiso. And the name “Paradise” is already too worn out. “So many of these all kinds of “paradises”. But we kept the theme of a paradise in the title, but with our own twist,” the director said.

Paradiso had 5 roulette tables and card games. And also one Texas Holdem Poker table. Various paintings that hang on the walls, The cloth is bright red, o and installations that the casino director brought himself from different countries.

Paradiso Casino is a budget gambling establishment designed for guests of a hotel located in the depths of the island, far from the main tourist routes. Most of the time the casino was empty. Probably, Arab sheikhs, vacationers on the Seychelles Islands could make the annual revenue of such a casino if they went there at least once.

Chips at Paradiso Casino were used with makeshift stickers on other chips. What also speaks of extreme budgeting of the casino. I peeled a sticker from one of the chips and found the name “Palm Beach Casino” there. This gambling establishment previously existed at Seychelles.

In Paradiso, we played Texas Holdem with a company of regular fans of this game who gather in a particular casino in the Seychelles 3-4 times a week. In addition to the game, I met with the employees of the casino and talked with them. As I understand it, in general, the croupiers are satisfied with their work, although they don_t receive enough tip due to a lack of customers. I had a short photo shoot with friendly casino croupiers.

As far as I know, about a year after my departure, Paradiso Casino was closed.

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Resorts of the Republic of Tunisia are designed for tourists from France, Italy, Spain and other European countries. Russians also often relax in many hotels located on the Mediterranean sea. I first visited Tunisia in 2009 and since then I have been to this beautiful country several times. In Tunisia, I lounged on sandy beaches and bathed in the clear sea, rode a camel in Sahara, bargained at the markets and shops, tasted amazing figs and dates, took a steam bath in the hammam. Well, of course, I played in a casino.

One of the most popular resort towns in Tunisia was Hammamet. More precisely, its southern part is Yasmine Hammamet. There was the casino in a specially built for the pleasure of tourists shopping and entertainment Medina complex, of the same name with it.

The casino was open daily from 20:00pm to 6:00am. I spent several evenings there playing Texas Holdem Poker with other tourists, as well as Oasis Poker against the casino. I also pulled the handle of a one-armed bandit on antediluvian casino slot machines and took several tokens for the collection. It is noteworthy that tokens were also accepted at casino tables at casino La Medina Hammamet, so they could be placed on roulette by numbers, on poker for bonuses, and on Texas Holdem as blinds. In addition to tokens, Casino La Medina Hammamet used chips similar in execution to roulette as one-dollar chips.

I think that the use of roulette chips is due to the fact that the usual one-dollar chips (which I know for sure were there before) at Casino Medina Hammamet simply ended. They settled in the pockets of tourists.

I have two bright memories connected with Casino La Medina Hammamet. First, my friend caught the highest combination of Flash Royal at Oasis Poker with me (payment of about $ 10,000), after which he was given a blacklist in this casino! I was Shocked! Later I wrote a whole story about it and, I hope, someday I will release a book in which this case will be described. The second memory is that it was in this casino that I once played at Texas Holdem Poker all night and have never made active bets. Such bad cards came to me constantly that I threw them out and again and again for 10 hours. In the morning, my opponents told me: “Vitaly, stop waiting for two aces! Play TJo!” How could I prove to them that I have never even received a jack with a ten? As a result, it was the longest session in my life, when I just sat and watched others play!

Casino La Medina Hammamet closed in 2013. Since then, I have nothing to do in Tunisia.

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I first met India in Goa in 2011. This tiny coastal state was the most popular resort for Indians and foreigners visiting India. It was also the only place where casinos were legal. More precisely semi-legal. Casinos could be located in the “offshore zone” on the Mandovi River, flowing next to the capital of Goa, the city of Panaji. In total, at the time of my arrival at Goa, four casino ships were operating – Casino Pride, Casino Royal, Casino Caravella (also called Casino GOA) and Carnival Casino.

Carnival Casino, like the other three gambling establishments, was on the ship. To get to the casino, it was necessary to register at a specially equipped reception on the pier. It was also required to pay a state tax for admission to the casino. After passing the control, the most interesting attraction began – it was necessary to ride a fast boat on the river. It was an adventure in itself .

The path to the casino on a boat took about 5 minutes. And I tried to inhale fresh air a and enjoy the views all this time!

I played at Carnival Casino in blackjack etc. The casino was not very popular and therefore I could enjoy the game alone. I remember that once I lost a lot in blackjack. I changed and changed large amounts of money, but I couldn’t win. And at one point between dealing cards, the manager came up to me and with a respectful smile put the chips on the table. “Just for luck,” he said, and pushed the chips to me. It seems there was something around 5,000 rupees. It was unexpected for me. I have not come across this form of discount before. Of course, I thanked the good manager. Despite the loss, I was filled with love for Carnival Casino.

I really liked the chips at Carnival Casino – great design and fun to play. Since the minimum chip was only 25 rupees, I scored a lot of copies for exchange. But i did’t stint on a chip of 1000 rupees (about 25 USD at that time). 

As a result, every time I relaxed in Goa, I played at Carnival Casino. Until its closure.

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